Tuesday, January 17, 2017

You just never know. You never really do. That is what I have come to learn as a storyteller – and by that I mean that there is just no way of ever telling what stories hit the mark and resonate deeply with people, and which tales people forget as soon as they have heard it. For example….
In my life as a yoga teacher, my “dharma talks” – that first part of class where a little bit of yoga philosophy is mentioned for students to consider along with the physical practice, I often use parts of itti hastas – yogic stories, that are chock full of lessons and meaning. One student of mine, every time he sees me recalls how I told the story of a man who was taken to see both heaven and hell only to find they were much the same. Both places had opulence, and a fine feast adorned both tables, but in hell, the utensils were too long, so no could feed themselves, and thus were doomed to starve while beholding amazing foods, but in heaven, the man observes, the people don’t try to feed themselves, they use those long utensils to feed each other. It is a good story, and it makes an excellent point about selflessness versus selfishness – but so do others I have told – but to this one student, it has become almost a mantra. He says it to me each time he sees me, and he has even told me he has told it to any woman he has started dating.
A few months ago, I was telling stories in an international school in Shanghai. In my very first class were two eighth grade boys, who were clearly the class jokers. The word cocky doesn’t even begin to cut it with these two, but their beloved teacher had sanctioned this “storyteller lady” so they only smirked at me as I began, and held their tongues. As I often do for this age group, I told one of my very favorite stories – it is a Mexican folktale called “Godmother Death”, and it is a goody – has some creepiness to it and, a plot twist that lands up delivering an ending no one EVER expects. But while the actual story is a winner, what really sets it up, I think, is the personal tale about my grandmother “Nanny”. Telling the tale, I embody my childhood recollection of Nanny – a languid mover and speaker from the Caribbean – a place she called “The Islands” – I purse my lips, and hum the way I remember she did. This imitation always brings laughs, and it softens any resistance to storytelling, so I am able to begin the folktale with the audience quite clearly on my team. While I knew this combo of stories had done their job the day I faced those two young men, I had no idea, just how much it had impacted them until I saw them later in the week humming, and pursing their lips re-telling my story to themselves, and their classmates over and over. Passing me in the hallway of their school, we would silently purse lips and nod to each other as a secret signal, and as I turned off my phone to get on this plane, there was one last whatsapp message from the school I had been working at – two young male voices humming in the way of my grandmother, then saying they would always remember that story. Who knows why – and who even needs to – it is just another wonderful example of the magical nature of tales and the telling of them, and I am humbled to be it’s vessel.

Julie's Bio

Julie Pasqual is a storyteller who's performances are infused with physicality and movement from her dance training, comic moments from her work in clowning, a deep love of language from her work as an actress, and a love of world cultures and folktales born from her travels to (so far) 49 of the 50 states, and 12 countries. Using all of her performance skills, and an ever present spirit of playfulness, Julie brings stories to audiences from pre-schoolers to prisoners, and everyone in between in single shows, assemblies, workshops, and residencies. Schools, libraries, festivals, museums, group homes, shelters, detention centers, and even weddings, have been some of her venues. When not telling tales, she can be found performing for Healthy Humor, a program designed to bring joy and fun to hospitalized children and their families, teaching the ancient practice of yoga at several studios, and domestic abuse shelters, and travelling to international schools around the globe as a teaching artist for ISTA (International School Theatre Alliance, as well as sweating as much as she can at her local gym!!!

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Upcoming Performances

Many of my “tellings” are private performances for schools, or part of ongoing residencies I have. The following are some venues where the general public can see me. Hope to see you there!!FEBRUARY 2017:2/4/17: Hempstead Library, NY 2PM2/4/17: Battery Park City, NYC 4:30PM2/25/17: Rahway Library, NJ 2PMAPRIL 2017:4/29/17: CT Storytelling Festival, New London, CT, 9AM, 1:30, 7:30!!MAY 2017:Manasquan Library, NJ 3:15PM

SO, WHERE'S JULIE WHEN SHE'S NOT TELLING TALES??

Well, she might be...performing in hospitals for children and their families for Healthy Humor a program designed to bringing humor and joy to the pediatric patients, or she might be...teaching yoga at Hudson Yoga Project in Hoboken, NJ, Yogamaya, The Bhakti Center, or at homeless and women's shelters in NYC. Or she might be...stilt walking, clowning, or dancing at various events. Or she might be travelling as a teaching artist for ISTA (International School Theatre Alliance)

Julie Live!

What They're Saying about Julie!

Julie Pasqual brings stories to LIFE. She is a storyteller of the first magnitude, with a collection of tales from all over the world. If you have the mistaken impression that children are bored by traditional storytelling, Julie will, with one beat of a drum, dance of her feet, or participatory shout from the audience, dispel your reservations. Julie is a true griot, a tribal teller who carries stories forward so that current generation and generations to come can learn the stories and the art of the teller. I have never had Julie at the library when the audience didn't leave smiling from ear to ear and repeating the rhythms and stories that she has taught them.

From Lisa Herskowitz, Youth Services Librarian, East Northport, Public Library.

"Julie Pasqual is one of the best storytellers we have hosted at our library. Julie is a whirlwind of positive energy who knows how to work a room filled with children of varied ages as well as adults. Her performance, which was the perfect blend of humor, physicality, and poignancy, held everyone's attention. Everyone walked out with a smile! I look forward to inviting Julie back in the near future."

To whom it may concern,

Julie Pasqual is a truly amazing performer! From the minute she steps on stage – even if the stage is a respect commanding school chapel or a huge, undecorated school gym – she holds the audience spellbound. Because Dream On Productions has presented more than 40 performances in Argentina by this excellent storyteller, I was treated to a wide variety of tales. My favorite one is “Unana,” a traditional folktale where the mother goes after an elephant who ate her children, and has to be swallowed along with them in order to rescue them. I also love the story of Death and her godson, a story told in cultures throughout the world. Her stories, her voices, her facial expressions, her stage presence make her performances unforgettable.

The fact that she uses the whole of her body to convey emotions and images that get the idea across makes her unique among the excellent performers we normally schedule, and perfect for our audiences of ESL learners.

Julie is furthermore a joy to work with and makes the entire experience not only a delight for the audience but also for the tour organizers. Just to mention a couple of examples, she was most co-operative trying to resolve an issue with a flight schedule change by the airline, and very patient signing autographs for long lines of school children.

In addition to my own opinion expressed above, we have received much feedback thanking Dream On and Julie, full of positive comments from teachers and children. As director of Dream On Productions, I heartily recommend her storytelling skills and professionalism.